Study of Dwarves
by GwyneddSilverfighter
Summary: While writing my WoT&Hobbit -crossover (which is yet to come) I made a lot of research and notes about how I would represent the Dwarven culture, especially its courting traditions, and after a while I realised that it would perhaps be better to collect them in one place than to drop them out in different parts of the story. So here you are, my short encyclopedia about Dwarves.
1. Dwarven and Human Ages

**About Differences in Human and Dwarven Ages (and Dwarven Adolescence)**

After I started writing my first (now already deleted) Hobbit-related fan fiction I found a formula for how Dwarven and human ages are related, and from now on I'm using it as a base when it comes to Fíli and Kíli's maturity. And probably Ori's too, as I'll go along with the film version in which Ori is described as youngest of the Company.

The formula is this: D = 4,2H – 44  
>Where "D" means Dwarven age and "H" means human age.<p>

For young dwarves' ages there's another, simpler formula, D = 2H

With some help from math I made a quick calculation that 2H = 4,2H – 44 when H = 20, and from that I made a conclusion that, according to this, Dwarves would reach their physical maturity at the age of 40. But, just like parents in our world don't usually think of their children as adults when they reach age of 18, a 40-years-old dwarf is still considered a youth who still needs some looking-after.

Now, Gimli, at age of 62, was still considered too young to take part in the Quest of Erebor, but Kíli, at the age of 77, was allowed to take part (and so was Ori, who's at least one year younger than Kíli). So, when it comes to mental maturity of young dwarves, it's got to be between years 63 and 76. Based on those facts I've decided that that age is 70. Then it'd take into account both that Gimli is too young to make a decision about the Quest himself and that Ori might be more than one year younger than Kíli. To make matters simpler it could be said that a 40-70 years old dwarf would be somewhat equivalent to what we see as a teenager.


	2. Dwarven Braids and Beads

**Note: In this explanation I speak only of beads, but despite it being unmentioned, hair clasps (such as the one we see Kíli wearing in movies) fall into same category with beads. Also, when not mentioned otherwise, beads (and clasps) are made of silver.**

**Edit: I forgot that FanFiction doesn't approve web links :D I hope the problem is now corrected, just delete the spaces in the link if you want to check the site.**

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><p>Dwarves are very proud of their hair and beard, but while a dwarf who has lost their braids (or beard) is seen as having lost their honor, braids themselves hold no significant meaning to Dwarves. What are significant are the beads braids are secured with.<p>

_Childhood beads_

Until a dwarf turns forty, he/she will tie his/her braids with simple silvery beads, which don't yet have family sigils. The only ornament in these "children's' beads" is small gems embedded in beads. These gems are always agate, be the child girl or boy, as this particular stone is believed to protect its carrier from harm.

_"Teenage" beads_

When a dwarf turns forty, (s)he can wear their family sigil in beads. The difference here is that a boy will get his own sigil, whereas a girl will wear her father's sigil until she marries, when she will start wearing her husband's sigil*. Though the beads are now made of silver, there'll still be agates in them to signify that the dwarf is not of age yet, and of course to protect this, let's say, "teenaged" dwarf.

*When of noble blood, a dwarrowdam can wear the sigil of her birth family even after she has been married. For example, Dís can wear beads that show she's a princess and a descendant of Durin, despite having been married (the fact that she's widow is irrelevant).

_Adulthood beads_

Having reached the age of seventy, a dwarf can start wearing beads with their family sigil and without agates. The first beads are usually a coming-of-age gift from the young dwarf's parents, and traditionally have only the family sigil engraved in them. A dwarf may also receive beads that mean they have achieved something noticeable, such as done great deeds in a war. These beads that signify one's status are not given out too easily, though. As for a bead that would show one's status as a lord or lady, such a thing does not exist. A dwarf's nobility is shown in their family sigil, so there's no need for a bead that would tell everyone that a dwarf is of noble blood.

With silver as standard base of all beads, beads with different engravings can easily be combined, and thus a handmade bead is a popular gift to give for one's loved ones. These beads have no meaning in shape of one's status, but they still have their personal meanings for the dwarf who's wearing them, these meanings not a tad less important than the meanings of those that show a dwarf's status.

_Courting beads_

Courting beads are the only beads which don't have silver as a standard base. The objective of this is that the courting bead would "pop out" from among all silvery beads, and thus signify that this certain dwarf is "off the market". The courting bead can of course be made of silver, but then it would lose its feature of being noticeable. Usually courting bead is made out of a gem, and the gem you use is a message of what you want for your courting partner. Here are two examples:

Tiger jasper is a stone of strong security and stability, as well as strongly protective stone. It gives one the courage to speak out and have personal independence.

Jade is a symbol of successful love, and the gem is also used to attract love. Jade can also be used to bring money into one's life, and it is also a strong stone of protection, guarding against accidents and misfortune. Jade also helps body in its self-healing process.

In the end, though, the chosen gem has also some kind of personal meaning, as many gems have somewhat same symbolic meanings. The only gem that is (by an unwritten rule) not used as base for a courting bead is agate, as it's so strongly present in children's beads.

_(You find the meanings I have used from this website: ___ crystal-cure gemstone-meanings . html_)_

The engravings in the courting bead symbolize those features of the courting partner which are dear to the dwarf who engraved the bead.

_Hair decorations_

Along with beads, female dwarves (of any age) usually have different kind of decorations in their hair, too. These decorations can be almost anything from ribbons to pearls, as long as they can be attached to one's hair. Most of the time this kind of jewelry does not have a meaning, the only exception being what is known as "widow's jewelry"; the overall coloring is black and the sole gem used is black onyx (for it can help to release sorrow and grief).


	3. Dwarven Soul Mates

Dwarves believe that a piece of their soul is restored inside another person, and they call this person their One, the one person they would truly love. So it's a soul mate -thing, and Dwarves can sense it when they have found their One. That much is similar to most of the "One theories", as I like to call them.

In my stories finding your One does _not_ mean falling in love with a complete stranger the moment when you lay your eyes on them for the first time. People can't sense their One's emotions, or hear each other's thoughts, nor can they sense their current location at any given time, only whether their One is near or not. And with near I mean _near_. For example, you cannot feel your One's presence if they're in another room.

What does it mean, then? The pull that has already been mentioned is _not_ love, its desire to _get to know_ the other. That pull is kind of message from fate, saying "hey this person is the one who is the most suitable for you, who can make you truly happy. I'd recommend to get acquainted with them." The pair would first become friends and then eventually that friendship would turn into love.

How long does it take? The truth is that nobody knows. For some it might take only weeks, for some it might take even years. The amount of time spent together might have some effect on it, but it has never been confirmed. However long it takes, love will always come eventually, and once it has come it will never die.

Dwarves may grow fond of anyone, for example two individuals can become so close friends that they'll consider each other as siblings, kind of brothers (and sisters) through a bond, but they will love only their One. That's also the difference between Dwarves and other races. Men and Elves can also find someone who would be their soul mate, but they can't sense it, not the way Dwarves do. Also, Men and Elves can fall in love with almost anyone, and Men can fall in love again after losing their first love, something that Dwarves are unable to do.

Dwarves can marry someone who is not their One, but these occasions are extremely rare. Usually, if a dwarf does not find their One, they won't marry at all.


	4. Dwarven Courting Traditions

**Note: I've based these courting traditions on how they were presented in a story I read some time ago, An Unexpected Proposal by Eareniel on this website. Any of you who are interested in Bagginshield-stories, I strongly recommend reading it, for it's probably one of the best fan fictions that I've ever read.**

After a pair has started courting, there needs to be a somewhat public declaration which shows to other dwarves that those two are no longer "on the market". Usually it is the male part of the pair who is supposed to make the proposal, but when a male/male pair is in question (which is quite common in Dwarven culture), making of the proposal falls for the older of the two.

The intention of marrying is usually included in the declaration of courting, but it's not unheard of that the pair decides to take it slowly and make a separate proposal later. This also gives the pair room to break off courting, if they think that it doesn't work. Even though courting can be broken off, it is considered of very bad taste, especially if there has already been a family dinner. Also it is frowned upon if a dwarf continues to pursue after someone even after they have refused the proposal.

A strong aspect of courting traditions is courting gifts. First courting gifts for one another are courting beads, which the proposed party will usually receive with the proposal (compare to the wedding ring). All gifts are usually handmade, but any gift will do. Family dinners between the courting pair and their families are common, too. The idea of these is that a dwarf will learn to know the family of the one (s)he is courting.

Kissing before having been married is not prohibited, but kissing in public when not married is something strongly frowned upon. What traditions do prohibit is having children before marriage. Usually this is taken care by not allowing the courting pair to share a bed before the wedding, but if the pair in question is considerably older (130 years old or older), the matter can be trusted upon the pair's reasonability.


End file.
